The present invention relates to a packaging system, a method for packaging a sterilizable item for aseptic presentation onto a sterile field, and a packaging element having instructional information printed thereon.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,661, I teach a method and packaging system for packaging a sterilizable item (including its container) in which a sterilizable item is placed into a flexible elongate tubular member (pouch), which tubular member is sized relative to the item being wrapped. After the tubular member is folded and secured as taught, the sterilizable item is sterilized. The packaging system can be opened and the item dispensed onto a sterile field in a manner that prevents the inadvertent contamination of the sterilized item.
The method and packaging system for packaging a sterilizable item of U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,661 requires that the vertical orientation of the sterilizable item be reversed (turned over) as part of the packaging and unpackaging process. For many sterilizable items, this does not pose any problem, but for some sterilizable items, it is required that the vertical orientation not be reversed during or between packaging and unpackaging. That is, the item has an xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d side that must be maintained xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d at all times prior to use.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and packaging system for packaging a sterilizable item (including its container, if it has one) wherein the sterilizable item can be packaged, sterilized and unpackaged without inverting its orientation (turning it over). In achieving this objective, the present invention continues to possess all of the advantages of the invention disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,661.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging element as specified above which has information printed thereon which is exposed after the packaging element is used according to the inventive packaging system and method.
The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.